As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

Last update:

$Date: 2014/07/21 08:08:44 $

History

1979

discovered.

1981-1983

excavations.

1996

report by Cecilio Barroso starts international excavation.

2007

1,750 page report on the archaeological excavations published.

Description

This cave is a paleolithic site where remains of the Neanderthals were found.
The fragmentary remains date to 30.000 years ago, the youngest yet found.

The Boquete de Zafarraya is located in the Sierra de Alhama in the
municipality of Alcaucín.
It was excavated between 1981 and 1983, and a femur and a jawbone of Neanderthal
man were found.
This are most probably the best preserved Neanderthal remains in the world.
The archaeologist Cecilio Barroso published his results
in 1996 seeking the collaboration of European and North African specialists.
Further on the exploration of the site was a collaboration of French, Spanish,
English and German institutions, including the Natural History Museum of Paris,
and the universities of Marseilles, Montpellier, Oxford, Granada, Valencia and
Zaragoza.
The excavation was coordinated by professor Henry de
Lumley and professor Cecilio Barroso.
More than 100 researchers studied 55 human remains, 5,000 pieces of animal bone
and about 1,000 stone tools discovered in the cave.

From about 50,000 to 30,000 years ago this place was used as a hunter's camp.
The hunting parties followed their prey, primarly horses and goats.
Then they brought it to the cave, cut up the meat and broke the bones to extract
the marrow.
The reason why this cave was frequented so much is its location at the Boquete
de Zafarraya, the Zafarraya Gap, which is a deep valley between mountain ridges
and was used by the animals to cross the mountains.